Improved device fob filling and packing rotary paper-pulp boilers



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ALB lll RT li1 l GKETT, OF Rv() CHESTER, NEW Y ORK. Letters Patent No. 71,728, dated December 3, 1867.

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'I ALL WHOM IT MAY GNCERN:

Be it known that I, ALBERT FIGKETT, of the city of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Device for Filling and Packing a Stationary or Rotary Boiler or Cylinder,

such as is lused in the Manufacture of Paper-Pulp, with straw or any similarmaterial which is to be treated in the rotary or cylinder; and do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of my invention.

'.The rotary or cylinder should be furnished with one or more man-holes for the introduction of the'straw or other material to be treated, and also for discharging the contents after treatment. `The straw or other mate? rial is cut up, in the usual way, into short lengths, for convenience in handling and packing, and may be allowed to run 'directly into the rotary or cylinder by means of a hopper suspended above the man-hole. A hollow screwshaft passing through the Ajournals of the rotary or cylinder, and forming the axis upon which it revolves, is furnished with a movablcperforated head, which is worked upon and operated by the said screw-shaft by means of power applied to a tight pulley attached to one end of the shaft, outside of the rotary or cylinder, as here-- after more particularly described. By means of this piston-head, working forward and .backward in a longitudinal direction through the rotary or cylinder, while the straw or other material is being introduced through the man-hole, as aforesaid, the said material can bc compressed to any extent required, and-therotary or cylin- .der filled and packed to its utmost capacity.' In actual practice, it i's well known,vespc cially in treating straw in the manufacture of paper-pulp, thatthc labor of filling and packing a rotary by hand is very g1eat, and that the work is very imperfectly done. The ordinary method requires the labor of two or more men, whose duty it is to go into the rotary through the man-hole and push the straw to the extreme ends, and inthat way pack I the rotary or cylinder by hand. But in .that mode of treatment it is necessary after each operation to allow the boiler to stand long enough to cool, so as to allow men to go into it with safety. By this invention the labor is done entirely by machinery., no time is lost, and the work is much more perfectly and expeditiously performed. It is well-known, also, that it is very important to lill the rotary as full of straw as possible before the boiling` is commenced, inasmuch as by the introduction of the alkali liquor, and the subsequent boiling by steam, the bulk of the straw is greatly reduced, so that' the mode ofpacking, which can fill the rotary to its greatest capacity with the dry straw, will insure great saving in timeand also in steam, and the cost of alkali liquoril It is claimed that these important advantages are secured by my invention.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, I will now describe itnnore particu= larly in connection with one form of apparatus whereby it may be carried into eect. In the drawings accom= panying these specifications-4 l Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a rotary boiler.,

Figures 2 and 3 represent end views of the same; and

Figure 4 represents a vertical section.

A represents a hollow cylinder, into which the material to be treated is introduced through the man-hole at H B represents a hollow and perforated screw-shaft passing through thejournals b Z1, and forming the axis upon which the cylinderrevolves. P is a movable head, also perforated,- which is worked upon and operated by the said screw-shaft B, which is operated by power applied to thetight pulley at Q The guide-pieces d d d'fastened to-theinterior surface of the cylinder, and running longitudinally from` cndto end, prevent the turning of the movable head, and compel it to travel forward and backward upon the screw-shaft, and also furnish the means of keeping the contents ofthe cylinder in constant agitation. 'lhe tight-pulley C is operated Vby two belts, one open, the other crossed, furnished withlbelt-tighteners E E, towhich a lever is attached for shifting the belts,

and thus reversing the motion of the screw-shaft, and effecting the vconsequent `reversal of the motion of the movable head P. Instead of using a lever for shifting the belts, as above described, an automatic arrangement in any ofthe well-known forms may bc employed, by which the resistance offered Aby the material to be compressed'to the' movement of the piston-head may operate to shift the belts. During the' process of filling and packing the cylinder by the working of the said piston-head forward 'and backwarduponthe screw-shaft, the stroke is growing shorter and shorter, so that when the operation-is completed, and the belts'are thrown oli', the movablehead remains stationary in the-cylinder and revolves with it. The alkali liquor and steam are now introduced at either end of the cylinder, through the hollow portions of the screw-shaft at s s, which are perfof rated to allow of free and uninterrupted passage of the liquid and steam. The movable head is also perforated for the same purpose. The other parts of the apparatus are the same as are usually employed in rotating boilers or cylinders. The screw portion of the shaft may be on the outside of' the rotary, if desirable, although it is believed that the mode of construction above designated will prove the most convenient.

Having thus described my invcntion,.the following is what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters-Patentl. The use of a screw-shaft and a movable head Working upon and operated by the screw-shaft, substantially as above described.

2. I claim the said screw-shaft and movable head, in combination with the use of the tight pulley A operated by two belts, one open, the other crossed, in conjunction with the lever II and the belt-tighteners b, Substantially and for the use above described. i

3. I claim the use of two or'morc guide-pieces fastened to the interior surface of the rotary or cylinder in a longitudinal direction, which perform thc double function of preventing the movable hcad from turning when the screw-shaf`t is -put in motion, and of agitating the contents of the rotary.

4. I claim the use of a hollow and perforated screw-shaft, substantially and for the use above described.

5. I' claim the use of a perforated piston-head to allow free circulation of the liquor and steam, substantially as above described.

ALBERT FICKETT.

Witnesses:

Roer. J. LESTER, A. MCVEAN. 

